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A friend has asked me to write a small software program for his own purpose. I haven't started it yet but am thinking about how to distribute it. I mean, there are licensing, encryption and things like that when releasing a software product right?

I just want to know, as a beginner, what I should consider when releasing this software.

(I'm planning to write the software using VS for Mac)

Are there any restrictions, things to watch out for?

Curiosity
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  • Related: https://softwareengineering.stackexchange.com/questions/79585/software-license-open-source-but-no-distribution-for-free-or-for-profit?rq=1 – OneCricketeer Aug 04 '17 at 21:28
  • It's prudent to consider and legality/licensing issues, but put this more in the context of your friendship. Make sure everyone agrees on what is expected. – JeffO Aug 08 '17 at 13:52

1 Answers1

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The short, simple answer to your question is to put the binary on a USB stick and hand it to him.

However, there are some other questions you should consider:

  1. Who owns the software? (The source code)
  2. Who will fix bugs and add new features?
  3. How many hours are you willing to put into this?
  4. Will you be paid? If so, when and how much?
  5. What will your friend do with the software? Can he sell copies? Do you really care?

My suggestions for answers:

  1. Your friend
  2. You, if you have time and are so inclined. Otherwise, your friend is free to seek outside help. (No obligations)
  3. Put a limit on this - maybe 100 or 200 hours or so, but don't turn this into a 6 month project.
  4. No - keep it simple.
  5. Who cares? It's his software.
Dan Pichelman
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  • While it's not what you're saying, your suggestions come off as something that should be put in some kind of agreement with the friend, whereas I believe you intend these to be decisions the OP makes in their own mind, though some communication will obviously be valuable. Less ambiguously, the friend doesn't own the software just because he has a copy of it. Some kind of license/contract is needed for the friend to demonstrably own the software. Your answer suggests that nothing needs to be done to transfer ownership. – Derek Elkins left SE Aug 04 '17 at 23:53
  • @Curiousity: what are your answers to these questions? – Doc Brown Aug 08 '17 at 08:26